Business process management (BPM) software specialist Lombardi Software launched a new version of its flagship TeamWorks suite yesterday featuring better integration with Microsoft Office.

Rod Favaron, president and chief executive at Lombardi, said tighter integration with Office could improve firms' efficiency by making it harder for end-users to deviate from assigned business processes.

"Most users of process apps use them through a browser," said Favaron. "But if users have to go to a browser or receive an email to notify them of a task that needs performing then they can ignore it." He added that integrating TeamWorks with Office allows firms to push task notification into a user’s Office environment, and ensure it is only deleted when the task is completed.

This approach also increases process efficiency, according to Favaron. "If employees need to go to a browser to find a task there is latency in the process, but this [system] removes the latency," he said. "For example, a manager who has to approve expense requests may log into a separate expense system once a week to do so, but this embeds the task in the applications they are using anyway."

Ian Charlesworth of analyst Ovum said the launch highlighted an important BPM trend. "Lombardi has recognised that most people perform business processes through their day-to-day productivity tools, so if you want them to do process work it needs to be integrated with those tools," he said.

However, Charlesworth warned that while BPM technology is maturing, firms still face major cultural challenges to implement it successfully. "Firms [developing a BPM strategy] need to work at the cultural side and get different departments to work closer together," he explained.